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00:00I'm on for you.
00:01Oh, man!
00:03Take three restaurants.
00:05Cheers!
00:06All experts in culinary creations.
00:10Ask each to throw a three-course feast.
00:12The beef is amazing.
00:14The main course was incredible.
00:16And get them to score each other in secret.
00:19Awesome.
00:20Dig in, folks.
00:22Today...
00:22This is ridiculous.
00:23...cutting criticism.
00:24Dashie is one of my favourite things.
00:26I feel like it's not there.
00:28I will take that criticism all day long
00:30because, after all, we have to go to their restaurant, too.
00:33A rousing rendition.
00:34Bye!
00:36Peace today!
00:38And extreme exposure.
00:40I can't drop this to pull my trousers off.
00:42I can picture him wobbling across from England
00:45holding this big pot of soup.
00:47As six professionals tussle for £1,000.
00:50Yeah!
00:51They're all brown and tan away fronts.
00:55100%.
01:01Today's professional competition comes from in and around Belfast,
01:05where you'll find the mythical salmon of knowledge.
01:08Legend has it the first person to eat the fish will inherit all of its wisdom.
01:13Good luck chewing on that.
01:15And when it comes to seafood, our first pair are certainly no fishes out of water.
01:20It's head chef Ian and manager Eva from Morn Seafood Bar.
01:24Ah, Morn Seafood Bar.
01:26It is the best restaurant in Belfast, without a doubt.
01:29With the best service.
01:31Yes, sexy service too.
01:33Unbelievably.
01:33Sexy.
01:34That'll be the oysters.
01:36We were the blueprint, often copied, never rivaled, serving the best seafood in Northern Ireland.
01:42Fresh langoustines, Dublin Bay, prawns, cod, monkfish.
01:46It's just massive selection of everything.
01:48Every seafood you can think of, we do it.
01:50And fresh.
01:50And we do it better than anybody else.
01:52So what's it like working together?
01:55Eva is just an absolute bundle of energy.
01:57As soon as she walks through that door, she lights up the room and it's just like work, work, work.
02:02Crack, crack, crack.
02:03Fun, fun, fun.
02:04But let's get this done.
02:05How about Ian?
02:07Yeah, Ian's a good lad.
02:10Wow.
02:11If I could, after what I said.
02:12Wow.
02:13Eva, you spell fish wrong.
02:14How hard is it to spell fish?
02:17Ian, please go back to the kitchen.
02:19Right, right, right.
02:19Do some work.
02:20Leave us the professional.
02:21Thanks a lot.
02:23First on the menu, lobster gyoza with a sweet garlic dashy broth.
02:29The starter looks really good, but let's just hope he's not too shellfish for the portion there.
02:36Oh, comedians as well as cooks, I see.
02:39Meet Chef David and manager James of Top of the Town in Antrim.
02:43Here at Top of the Town, we serve meals for 363 days of the year.
02:47We're just a very family-orientated business.
02:49Food's my department, we create new dishes all the time.
02:52What makes Top of the Town the best is surely the amount of rewards we've won,
02:56the amount of food we do every single week,
02:58and just the amount of return customers every single week.
03:01Impressive!
03:02David is a chef.
03:03His standard is extremely high.
03:05There's things that Dave does and things that he creates
03:07that you sometimes think, hang on, how did he do this?
03:10And he just comes off with it, and then when you say to him,
03:12it just doesn't faze him.
03:13It's like, he's a superstar.
03:15Aw, thanks.
03:16Get your hand off my neck.
03:19Guys, we need to get a move on this year.
03:21Me and James, we are like friends, you know,
03:23we work together every single day.
03:25We are the best team.
03:26It's just the two of us.
03:27Just the two of us.
03:29We can make it if we try.
03:32Just the two of us.
03:33You and I.
03:36Back at Morn's Seafood Bar, Ian and Eva crack on with the dashi,
03:40which is a type of Japanese broth.
03:42They begin by heating seaweed in water.
03:45In go bonito flakes, and after simmering, it's time to strain.
03:48A beautiful clear dashi.
03:50That really is the taste of the sea.
03:51That is the base for our starter.
03:54I'm sold just on the first word, lobster.
03:57Looking forward to it.
03:58Wet in the lips already.
04:00Last to join the party are head chef Emma
04:03and operations director Paul of Gnostic,
04:05based in the city centre.
04:08Gnostic means hidden knowledge.
04:10So we're hidden and we're quite cool.
04:11We're a good place, we do a good food.
04:13There's loads of different flavours going around.
04:15Tacos, sliders, fresh fish.
04:18There's something there for everyone.
04:20And this pair has an interesting working dynamic too.
04:23So we have a really good love-hate relationship.
04:25I hate him and he loves me.
04:27It works well.
04:29Presentation could do with a wee bit of work.
04:30You could do with a little bit of work.
04:32So this is my first head chef role.
04:34It was a surprise.
04:36It wasn't a planned thing.
04:37Things you do when you're stuck, eh?
04:39Rude.
04:41Lovely.
04:42Meanwhile, Ian and Eva prep the gyoza dough.
04:44Can I need you to do this for 60 seconds?
04:46OK.
04:46Let's go.
04:47Set my watch.
04:4959.
04:5058.
04:5038.
04:50$8.
04:51Seventh.
04:52$8.
04:53Knead.
04:54Speak to him all, that's it.
04:55Lovely.
04:56Onto the lobster for the filling.
04:58Look at that beautiful, plump, juicy lobster tail.
05:03Next, Ian whizzes tiger prawns and cod before combining with the crustacean and herbs.
05:08Eva, your balls are getting a little bit bigger there.
05:10Yeah.
05:11Well, I was looking at yours and that's why the customer's always complaining.
05:14Too small.
05:16Charming.
05:17Time to assemble.
05:18So there we have it, our beautiful little lobster.
05:22Go with you.
05:23Getting the hang of it, Eva.
05:25Let me see.
05:26Oh, it's a little bit... Oh, dear, listen, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
05:29That would be amazing if we were making Cornish pasties.
05:32That would be unbelievable. Yeah, yeah.
05:34We'll put that on the maybe pile, OK?
05:37On to the main galgorm short-horned beef rib
05:40with Kilkeel scallops celeriac puree,
05:43douffin noirs and a bone marrow crust.
05:46Great to see the galgorm short beef rib, that's local, douffin noirs.
05:51Very nice, just up the road. Yeah, yeah.
05:53I've never had scallops with beef,
05:55so I'm looking forward to seeing how that works.
05:56OK, so what we're going to do first,
05:58we're going to roast this beautiful mireplat off, OK?
06:00Mireplat is a French word, Eva.
06:02They fry the veg for the stock before moving on to the meat.
06:05This is the Rolls Royce of beef, OK?
06:08After sealing, it's transferred to the veg and on goes the stock.
06:12Cartouche on, OK?
06:13All these French words, OK?
06:14Now you're just showing off.
06:16It's left to slow cook.
06:18Awesome. Awesome!
06:20They knock up a puree.
06:22That is our celeriac puree brown butter.
06:25Good job.
06:26The bit of soft and tough we've got going on there,
06:28I think if they get it spot on,
06:30I think that's going to make a big difference.
06:32Yeah, that could be a winner.
06:33Quick check on the local spuds.
06:36Mmm. Good.
06:37Never cooked in a water bath or a bain-marie,
06:39that's the same trade, OK?
06:41That's French. Magnifique!
06:42These will be served alongside scollops and a bone marrow crust tonight.
06:47On to dessert.
06:48Classic lemon tart with duck egg raspberry ripple ice cream.
06:52I love lemon.
06:53Lemon is my favourite dessert ever.
06:55I am doing a classic lemon tart.
06:58It's my favourite dessert, OK?
06:59So this is a wee bit of a vanity project for me.
07:02Knock yourself out.
07:03They make a base before pouring on the topping,
07:05which is a mixture of lemon zest and juice, eggs and cream.
07:09I'm serving that with a beautiful raspberry ripple duck egg ice cream.
07:13Fancy.
07:14Duck egg raspberry ripple ice cream, I think, is a bit showy.
07:16You know, it doesn't matter if it's a duck egg or a chicken egg or an ostrich egg.
07:20Yeah, that's very true.
07:21Yeah.
07:21I think Ian might disagree.
07:23Ice cream mix made, it's over to Eva.
07:25So give that a little stir.
07:27Now, just be careful, cos you don't end up with scrambled eggs.
07:29That wouldn't be good.
07:31How does it taste?
07:35Eva had better.
07:36Wow.
07:37Tell you two.
07:39All that's left is for the ice cream machine to work its magic.
07:43That's the hard work, John.
07:44Now, let's go and set it up front.
07:45I should get ready for a guest.
07:46Come on.
07:47Let's rock, Geoff.
07:49Let's do this.
07:51Let's go.
07:51I think the ambience will be really nice.
07:54Experience, Geoff.
07:55Probably a big restaurant, I would think.
07:57Question is, can they deliver?
07:58Well, it tastes good.
08:01Not long to wait.
08:02First in, a James and David.
08:04Here we go, James.
08:05What do you think?
08:06Wow.
08:07Didn't expect this.
08:10Guys, sorry.
08:11Fully booked the night.
08:13Oh, nightmare.
08:14Jack it off.
08:15Who's fighting?
08:17What's your name, sir?
08:17Pleased to meet you, I'm James.
08:18James, pleasure.
08:19David, nice to meet you.
08:21James, Ian, David, pleasure to meet you, sir.
08:24I'm David.
08:25Warren Seafood has probably one of the highest reputations
08:27of restaurants in Northern Ireland.
08:29There we are.
08:30Get that down, yeah?
08:31Cheers.
08:32Cheers.
08:32Thank you very much.
08:33You stole mine everywhere.
08:34Yes, I can.
08:36Here's Emma and Paul.
08:37Warren Seafood.
08:39Nice one.
08:41Hey!
08:42How are you doing, guys?
08:43How are you?
08:44How are you?
08:44I'm Emma.
08:45Emma.
08:46Eva.
08:46Pleasure to meet you.
08:47Paul.
08:48Eva.
08:48Pleasure.
08:49Glass of bubbles.
08:50Needed, I think.
08:51Yes.
08:51There you go.
08:55When we walked up, I was like, oh, no.
08:58Like, it's a serious competition.
08:59OK, guys, so right now, we've got a little surprise for you.
09:03One of all for you guys.
09:04OK, so the idea is we tip this beautiful Stringford oyster
09:08into the Bloody Mary.
09:10OK.
09:10And down in the water.
09:11And it's a great start to the night, OK?
09:13Three, two, one, go.
09:20Oh, you're getting those flavors in that fog coming through.
09:24That drink blew the socks off me, so it did.
09:27I was not expecting that at all.
09:29OK, guys, so we're starting the night off with an amazing
09:31aphrodisiac, and it's only the start of the night.
09:33It can only get better.
09:34Cheers.
09:35Cheers.
09:36Cheers.
09:37Coming up, a peculiar pastime.
09:40So one day, we were obviously having dinner, and I put
09:43a big piece at my nose.
09:44I usually have an answer for everything, but for this,
09:46I have no idea.
09:47And a sing song.
09:52Take me on.
10:01It's night one in and around Belfast.
10:03Cheers.
10:04Cheers.
10:05Where Eva and Ian of Maugham Seafood Bar are treating their
10:09guests to a menu of high-end grub in their attempt to win
10:11the grand.
10:12It's all about the crack, and nobody does crack like Belfast.
10:16Let's get cracking, then.
10:18The gyoza are doused in dashi.
10:19Whoa, careful.
10:21It's only hot in the kitchen when myself and Ian are here.
10:25That's all I can say.
10:26So what's the food going to be like?
10:28Hopefully not burnt.
10:29With the parcels left to steam, Eva prized the mushrooms.
10:33The gyoza greets black garlic in bowls along with the dashi and
10:37decorations.
10:37They look yummy.
10:38And they're ready.
10:39Okay, these are looking great.
10:40Let's go, Eva.
10:41Let's get these served.
10:42Here it is.
10:42Lobster gyoza with a sweet garlic dashi broth and a tapioca crisp.
10:47Awesome.
10:48Thanks very much.
10:49You're welcome.
10:50That looks great.
10:50Please dig in and enjoy.
10:55So, guys, what do you think?
10:58Amazing.
10:58Good.
10:59The dashi broth's really, really nice.
11:01All the flavours coming through together.
11:02Absolutely.
11:03They all work so well.
11:04The combination of flavours, textures, yeah, I really enjoyed it.
11:09It's nice to have an expensive ingredient put into something sort of humble.
11:13Dashi is one of my favourite things in the world.
11:16Wow.
11:17Like, insane.
11:18And I feel like it's not there.
11:22My only criticism would be the dashi was just not what I'm used to.
11:26But that doesn't mean that what I'm used to is right.
11:28I will take that criticism all day long because, after all, we have to go to their restaurant
11:32too.
11:34So, who is chef and who is front of house?
11:37I would guess, just a guess now, these two guys are the chefs?
11:40Front of house, front of house.
11:41Okay, let me have a go first.
11:43What?
11:43You just give it away.
11:44So I'll just say, chef, front of house, just because you've got that, like me.
11:50You know, they're a little bit of, yeah.
11:53Well, I call him everything, bar chef.
11:55Now, these two guys, chef, front of house, gotta be.
11:58You're saying she's better crack than me?
11:59Absolutely.
12:01I'm the chef.
12:01No way.
12:02Way.
12:03Seriously?
12:04There's no way he does front of house.
12:07I would say in their relationship, Emma definitely wears the trousers.
12:10Yeah, yeah.
12:10Like I do on ours?
12:12Yeah, yeah.
12:12Then you go, I'll take that.
12:14How long have you been chefing for?
12:1632 years.
12:18I was not born when you started.
12:19Yeah, but I only started cooking when I was two.
12:22Neither was I.
12:23Good.
12:24There you what.
12:25We got this.
12:26Yeah, and you criticised my dashi.
12:29See, I was making dashi when you weren't even born, kid.
12:32Ian has been a chef longer than I've even been alive.
12:36I'm 28.
12:3732 years experience in the trades.
12:39That's crazy.
12:39Time for the main.
12:40How's that beef?
12:42Look at that.
12:43Ooh.
12:44Right off the bone.
12:45That is proper grub.
12:46On go the dauphinoise.
12:47Eva fries and flips veg.
12:49Pro-fresh.
12:50And Ian sautés scallops.
12:52Beautiful Kilkeel scallops.
12:54These are a winner.
12:55That's all I can say.
12:56Soon find out, with everything assembled...
12:59I'm going to serve this and let's watch their faces.
13:02OK.
13:02Let's go.
13:03Here it is.
13:04Galgorm, short-horned beef rib, Kilkeel scallops, celeriac puree, dauphinoise and a bone marrow crust.
13:10We're going to start with the pretty ones first, lads.
13:13Oh, yes.
13:13There we go.
13:15Looks pretty good.
13:16Smells so good.
13:17So please, enjoy.
13:18Amazing.
13:19Thank you very much.
13:20Thank you very much.
13:24Must say, Chef.
13:25Crack your job.
13:26It's really, really good.
13:28The...
13:28Cheers, Chef.
13:28Appreciate that one.
13:29The main course for me, absolutely brilliant.
13:31The combination of surf and turf, using the scallops and using that slow-cooked beef was incredible.
13:39Chef, the beef is amazing.
13:42It just falls apart.
13:43It's tip-top.
13:44He doesn't give compliments at any point in his life, so...
13:48That's a really good thing.
13:50The main course was incredible.
13:52Big shoes to fill.
13:54I only have little feet.
13:56It's not the size that matters.
13:57What is your working dynamic like, guys?
14:00Do you know what?
14:01Me and James are big mates.
14:02Yeah.
14:02We are.
14:03We got on really, really well together.
14:05We have plenty of fun together.
14:06The only thing that does annoy me about James when it comes to it is just how much he talks.
14:10James pays my wages.
14:11I have to be nice.
14:13Yeah, okay.
14:15I get it now.
14:15That's a great point.
14:16Exactly.
14:17Dave comes in and there's nobody else in the kitchen when he comes in, so there's nobody to talk to
14:20him.
14:20So I come in and I fill that gap.
14:23I make up for the two hours he's on his own.
14:26Yeah, you really fill that gap.
14:29Paul always thinks he's right.
14:30And it doesn't matter what the circumstance is.
14:33It could be this white and it's red, but he'll tell me it's white and he's right.
14:37And that goes on for a while.
14:39That's probably the start of most of our arguments.
14:40I've only met Emma for ten months.
14:42Look inside of this head.
14:44There's a whole lot of Emmas in there.
14:48I like the girl's energy.
14:49Yeah.
14:49I like the girl's energy.
14:51She'll go a long way.
14:52I might offer her a job, actually.
14:53Yeah, well, absolutely.
14:54Front the house as well.
14:55I'll take her.
14:56I'll be called a bodger next Christmas.
14:57Keep things going the way they're going.
15:00I've been cold with us.
15:01Back with the group and Ian's eager to share.
15:04I was a little commie chef doing a big banquet at Belfast Castle.
15:08Massive big banquet.
15:09Walking out with the soup terrain.
15:11You know, your big tall hat back in the day, you know.
15:14Trousers too big for me.
15:15Trousers fell down.
15:16Standing in the boxer shorts.
15:17With the soup terrain in front of 400 guests.
15:19And you know, it's like,
15:20I can't drop this to pull my trousers up.
15:24So I had to shuffle over, slide the soup terrain in,
15:28and gracefully pull my trousers up and walk away.
15:31Picture him waddling across from a penguin,
15:33holding this big pot of soup.
15:36They wouldn't be boxer shorts, I think.
15:37No.
15:38They were Y-fronts.
15:39They were brown and tan Y-fronts.
15:43100%.
15:44What's wrong with brown and tan Y-fronts?
15:46When I was little.
15:47I mean, like, little.
15:48Like, two, three, maybe four max.
15:51I was a weird child.
15:53You're joking me.
15:55I'm not getting that.
15:56No.
15:57Never been.
15:58I used to, like, rip up magazines and newspapers
16:02and put them in my nose.
16:03So one day, we were obviously having dinner,
16:05and I put peas at my nose.
16:07Not a good idea.
16:09But they got too far up there, and I went to the hospital
16:11to get them taken out.
16:15Why?
16:15Because it's just what I did as a child.
16:18I don't know.
16:18Yeah, but I went out and played football, you know,
16:20broke the window, stole the odd tempi mix-up.
16:23I wasn't putting root vegetables up my nose, you know what I mean?
16:25I usually have an answer for everything but for this.
16:28Yeah.
16:28I have no idea.
16:29Me neither.
16:30Time for Pud.
16:31Once sliced, the lemon tart is caramelised.
16:34On goes the ice cream, et voila!
16:36It is ready.
16:37Looks good to me.
16:37Let's get this on the table, make them happy, win the money.
16:41Absolutely.
16:42Let's do it.
16:43Classic lemon tart with duck egg raspberry ripple ice cream
16:46and a little French biscuit.
16:47Jolie.
16:49We have duck egg homemade raspberry ripple ice cream
16:51and a little long de chat, which, as all the chefs know,
16:55is French for...
16:56Tongues cat?
16:57Cat's tongue.
16:57I mean, cat's tongue.
17:00Tongues cats?
17:01OK.
17:02I quit, I'm done.
17:03Cat's tongue.
17:07Enjoy.
17:11The lemon's amazing.
17:13Like, lemon is my thing.
17:14So, I love it.
17:16It was so punchy.
17:17It was so fresh.
17:18The pastry was so thin.
17:20The ice cream was made with the duck eggs.
17:22Mm-hm.
17:23That's quacker.
17:28I love the fact the thin crust pastry on the dessert.
17:31It held it well.
17:32The crunch was fantastic.
17:34With dessert hitting the right notes,
17:36Eva's got something for the group.
17:37My favourite band is A-ha, Norwegian.
17:40Yeah.
17:40I know them very well.
17:42Love them.
17:42Yep.
17:43Big, massive fan.
17:44Massive.
17:44And I always...
17:45I always whistle.
17:47Long memories.
17:48Take on me.
17:49Take on me.
17:49No way.
17:50That's a hard song to whistle.
17:52It is a hard song to whistle.
17:54Give us a go.
17:55Do it.
17:56Do it.
17:57Do it.
17:58Do it.
17:58Do it.
17:59Do it.
18:12Good.
18:12Very good.
18:15Take on me.
18:18Take on me.
18:19Take me on me.
18:23OK, enough.
18:24OK, and after that day, do you think we won?
18:30Aha.
18:31Oh, scores out of 20, please.
18:34The food tonight was really, really good, so it was.
18:36We had lots of laughs.
18:37The dessert just wasn't adventurous enough for me.
18:40But tonight, it's 18.
18:42The only thing was the dash.
18:44It could have been a bit more crunchy.
18:45But we've had an amazing night, so it's an 18.
18:48And with that, Mons Seafood Bar net themselves
18:51a fabulous 36 points out of a possible 40.
18:58It's the second day and the turn of David and James
19:00from top of the town, and there's confidence in the air.
19:04This is the winning menu.
19:05This is top of the shop, top of the town.
19:08The boys got a big, big job on their hands,
19:10and they need to pull out all the stops to top last night.
19:13The bench is set pretty high.
19:15It's up high.
19:16You're going to need a ladder to get up to it.
19:18But, you know, best of luck to them.
19:20So, gents, what's the plan?
19:22I think it's a case of we do what we do.
19:24I don't think we'll go outside our remit.
19:27I think we'll just concentrate on what we're good at.
19:28Probably a good idea.
19:30First, to focus on the starter.
19:32Pan Seed scallops with pea puree, pea bhaji, and apple.
19:36Indian would be one of my favourites,
19:37so I'm looking forward to this.
19:40Just the good old peas.
19:42Make sure they're Daphne purees.
19:45I'm a big lover of Indian food,
19:46so the pea bhaji with the scallops is just...
19:48It's fun.
19:49That's what we're here for.
19:50We're here for fun.
19:51And David kicks off the fun by making the pea bhajis.
19:55He mixes a shed-load of spices with corn and graham flour.
19:58After squeezing lemon and lime, in go cooked peas.
20:02These will be fried tonight.
20:04Emma, are you doing your party trick tonight?
20:06Sicking those peas up your nose?
20:07No, I promise I won't.
20:08I'm on for you.
20:10Oh, man.
20:11Don't use that one.
20:12Luckily, there's also a pea puree.
20:15Oh, careful!
20:17Got me right in the nib.
20:18We saw!
20:20The peas are whizzed with a bit of stock and butter
20:22before straining.
20:24I got all the good jobs.
20:26This is ridiculous.
20:28OK, go on.
20:29Peas, done.
20:31Thank goodness.
20:32I blended Kermit the Frog.
20:34They're peas.
20:35No Muppets were harmed during the making of this puree.
20:38Spot on, James.
20:39Very, very good.
20:40Praise indeed!
20:41It'll be served alongside the scallops later tonight.
20:44On to the main.
20:45Belfast stout braised beef cheek
20:47with carrot, baby root, veg and bone marrow potato.
20:51OK, so another braised beef.
20:52Did I see our menu beforehand?
20:55Yeah, it has to be...
20:56Prepped properly.
20:57There's loads of, like, sinew and fat on it.
20:58As long as that's all taken off and it's cooked properly,
21:00it's going to be beaut.
21:01First job sealing the meat.
21:03Colour is flavour when it comes to beef.
21:05And we just really want to get our beef tastier than last night's.
21:09Next, David makes a stock with onions and carrots.
21:13When do you need the leeks?
21:13Right now, James.
21:15They're just right here, James.
21:17I'm already on it.
21:19Head of me.
21:20Yep.
21:21Go for it.
21:22In they go, followed by rosemary, thyme, garlic and stout.
21:25Proper boozy beef.
21:27Everybody loves stout in Ireland, so they should like this tonight.
21:30The beef will be left to slow cook in the mixture.
21:32Yeah.
21:33I've cooked this before myself at home.
21:35Have you really?
21:36Yeah.
21:37Unedible.
21:38So, if they do it wrong, they'll get a high-five from me.
21:41With just the bone marrow and veg to prep, it's on to dessert.
21:45Chocolate and orange delise with candied hazelnut
21:47and vanilla bean ice cream.
21:50Classic flavours.
21:51It's going to be tasty.
21:53Like...
21:53Yeah, they'll work well together.
21:55You just think chocolate's going to be slightly heavy
21:56after that big meal course.
21:58Absolutely, yeah.
21:58For this mousse cake, they begin by making a chocolatey biscuit base,
22:02before whipping up the mousse topping.
22:04It's just under the blast chill.
22:06With the mousse left to do its thing,
22:08James makes a mirror glaze with cream, milk and sugar.
22:12Now we're adding the cocoa powder.
22:13And gelatin.
22:14After a quick whizz, on it goes.
22:18How's that glaze looking?
22:19Well, I can see myself in it, so it's looking pretty good.
22:22I think it might have something to do with the guy who made it.
22:25Oh, yeah. Obviously.
22:27Obviously.
22:28And that's all they can do for now.
22:29I don't know why, but I think the restaurant tonight
22:32is going to be cluttered.
22:34I just feel like James was quite chaotic.
22:36Just tat everywhere.
22:38Emma!
22:39I think they're going to not expect what they're going to see
22:43when they walk through the door.
22:43And they're not going to expect what we're going to give to them.
22:47They'll soon find out, I suspect.
22:49Emma and Paul are first to arrive.
22:51Hello!
22:52Hey!
22:52How are you doing?
22:53Good, how are you?
22:54Hey, great to see you.
22:55You too.
22:56It's so pretty.
22:57Cheers.
22:58Cheers.
23:00And everyone's edible.
23:03I think it's going to be really cluttered.
23:05He went straight out the window.
23:06When we arrived, I was like, I was so right.
23:08And then you walk in and it's just pristine.
23:11And scrubbing up nicely too, here's Ian with Eva.
23:14Hey!
23:15Hey!
23:15How's it going?
23:18I love it.
23:19I love it, I love it.
23:21Can I put it up now or not?
23:24Oh, Jesus.
23:26Good to see you, good to see you.
23:27Here we are.
23:27Wow.
23:28That's amazing, isn't it?
23:29Yeah.
23:29That is outstanding.
23:30Cheers.
23:31So tonight, guys, welcome to Top of the Town.
23:33Hope you have a fantastic evening.
23:35And cheers to everyone of you.
23:36Cheers!
23:38Coming up, a momentous mistake.
23:40We were just starting to do weddings.
23:42I put white wine vinegar into risotto instead of white wine.
23:47No.
23:47I mean, there's nothing more I can say to that, but...
23:50Wow.
23:51And dodgy dancing.
24:01It's night two in and around Belfast.
24:04Cheers!
24:04Cheers!
24:05Where David and James of Top of the Town in Antrim are hoping to conquer the competition
24:10with their gastro-gourmet grub.
24:12Can't wait to get stuck in.
24:13Let's do it.
24:13Yeah.
24:14Get the money in our pockets.
24:16Confident, David begins by cooking the barges and frying the scallops.
24:21Wow.
24:21They're looking fantastic, mate.
24:23Time to plate up.
24:24I don't think they'll be expecting this from a contrary boy, but we'll see what they think.
24:28Not bad.
24:29Looking great.
24:31Ready to rock?
24:32Let's have this out.
24:33Let's go.
24:33Good idea.
24:35Pan-seared scallops, pea puree, pea bhaji and apple.
24:39Appreciate that.
24:40Lovely.
24:41Thank you so much.
24:42Dig in, folks.
24:43Dig in.
24:47Obviously, too much pea for me, but that's definitely a personal choice.
24:50You know, are you tempted to just get one up the nose?
24:53Maybe we'll do that later.
24:56I love anything Indian, and the wee quirkiness of the bhaji is great.
25:01I'm an Indian lover, so I am, and the bhaji's were lovely, so they were.
25:04Thanks very much.
25:05Very good, solid dish.
25:06Cheers.
25:07I like the pea bhaji, but the puree and the apple was too much for it.
25:12There was too much peas in the whole dish.
25:14There was pea puree, there was pea bhaji, there was just a lot of peas going on.
25:18The fact that most of the plates were completely clean, that's good news for me.
25:22So, Dave, has it always been plain sailing in the kitchen for you, or have you had any stories for
25:27us?
25:27It's not always been plain sailing.
25:29I remember my very first job.
25:31I took a commie chef job in a brand new hotel.
25:35We were just starting to do weddings.
25:37A lovely bride waiting for her food, and I was cooking a risotto.
25:41I put white wine vinegar into her risotto instead of white wine.
25:46No.
25:47Being a commie chef, I didn't taste it.
25:49I just thought, it's a little bit vinegary.
25:51I don't know what risotto tastes or smells like.
25:54And I sent out, and, yeah, she was absolutely furious.
25:58Wow.
25:59I mean, there's nothing more I can say to that, but, wow.
26:02It's better putting vinegar in Sunday's risotto than having no trousers serving soup.
26:07It's a fair point.
26:08On with the bane.
26:09While the beef is finished in stock, David cooks the veg and moves on to the spuds.
26:13This is make or break now.
26:15It's more make, it'll not be break, Dave.
26:17You're all right, you're all right.
26:19Get it on the plate.
26:20Beef and veg are added.
26:21You're just looking as pretty as your food.
26:24Thank you, James.
26:25Dishy, you mean.
26:27Here it is, Belfast Stealth Braised Beef Cheek with Carrot, Baby Root, Veg and Bone Marrow Potato.
26:34Oh, my goodness.
26:35Wow.
26:37Very, very good.
26:38Looks amazing, guys.
26:39Dig in, guys.
26:40Cheers.
26:44I feel like the glaze on top of the beef cheek is too much, like it's stuck in my teeth.
26:48Mmm.
26:48It's just too caramelised, maybe, just brought down too much, but it's a good dish.
26:52Thanks very much.
26:53Super flavour, guys.
26:54That beef cheek's fantastic.
26:55It's falling apart.
26:56It's falling apart, yeah, yeah.
26:58Good job.
26:58The beef, it was like right up there with Ian's beef, in fairness.
27:02Could not criticise, as a chef, the cooking of the cheek.
27:05Fell apart, beautiful, tender, tasty.
27:08Agree.
27:09Yeah, yeah.
27:09The only critique again, a little bit crusty in the beef.
27:12Gives it a far better texture.
27:14Back with the group, and chat turns to celebs.
27:17So, have any youths served on anybody famous?
27:19Leonardo DiCaprio is probably the most up there.
27:22Who's at this right up there?
27:23Who's at?
27:24Who's on this show?
27:24Oh, Titanic?
27:25About a ship that sank.
27:27May here, funnily enough.
27:28The biggest one for me was Pavarotti.
27:30Oh, wow.
27:31And he left, and I followed him out, and he went into the next room.
27:34And in that room, the whole Scottish orchestra was in there waiting for him to come.
27:38And he sat down, and he sang Nessum Dorma.
27:43And I'm getting goosebumps.
27:45How did it sound?
27:46It sounded a lot better than what I could do.
27:48Come on.
27:49Come on!
27:49LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA MA MISERES
28:03AGGRIN
28:05Oh!
28:08We shall come!
28:12We shall come!
28:15We shall come!
28:20We shall come!
28:24Unbelievable, James. Well done.
28:26You know, sometimes when you're up there and you've just got that talent,
28:28you just have to let it out.
28:30And you did. And I did. Yeah, fantastic.
28:32Listen, it's OK. My agent's phone number will be in the post.
28:36You could charge a tenner a ticket.
28:39Time for dessert.
28:40The precise measurement of this dessert is about 3 1⁄4 centimetres
28:44by 12 centimetres long.
28:47Very precise.
28:48After flaming, a couple of drops of orange gel and ice cream
28:51and it's ready.
28:52Yeah, I'm really, really happy with these.
28:54I think the guys will absolutely love it. Let's do it.
28:56Here it is, chocolate and orange Delise
28:58with vanilla bean ice cream and candied hazelnut.
29:02Yeah.
29:04Oh, wow!
29:05That's massive.
29:073 1⁄4 centimetres by 12, to be precise.
29:10Enjoy.
29:13It's really, really nice. It's unreal, but it would just be...
29:16It's too much for me, that's nothing I can say.
29:18Genuinely, it's amazing. The flavours are so good.
29:21It's way too big.
29:23There's been a lot of, there's too much of something tonight.
29:25And, you know, here at the top of the town, sometimes, you know,
29:28too much isn't a bad thing.
29:29You're just going to make yourself feel ill if you try and eat it all.
29:32It was good. So good.
29:34The texture was great.
29:35The way it stuck to the spoon was fantastic.
29:37Mm-hm.
29:37The tastes were great.
29:38I thought dessert was incredible.
29:40Yeah.
29:40It was too big.
29:41It was too thick.
29:42They want to sell smaller, let them sell smaller.
29:44We do what we do, and we need to be proud of what we do,
29:47and I'm proud of what you've put in that plate tonight.
29:49Thank you very much.
29:50And there's something else James is proud of.
29:52We do have a champion in our midst.
29:56Dave is actually a salsa champion.
30:00No.
30:01Making selsas or dancing selsas?
30:03Megan selsas.
30:04Has won.
30:06Has won.
30:07Has won.
30:07From salsa dancing to Megan selsas.
30:10A salsa dancing championship.
30:12I was part of a large group at school, but I was salsa dancing.
30:17It was 12 years ago.
30:19Can you show us?
30:20That's not that largo.
30:21Absolutely not.
30:22That's good.
30:22Come on.
30:23Absolutely not.
30:25Dance off.
30:26Dance off.
30:26Dance off.
30:27Two shifts.
30:28Come on, Ian.
30:29Come on.
30:30Come on.
30:31Come on.
30:34Didn't take much persuasion.
30:40I mean, that looks more like judo.
30:42Scores, please.
30:43Everything was bang on, but there's a learning curve,
30:46so we're going to give them tonight.
30:47The score that we feel is...
30:5016.
30:5116.
30:51For me, there was just a couple of minor criticisms,
30:55but all in all, it was a solid night and they've done a very good job,
30:58and that's why we're giving them a...
31:0017.
31:00And with that, top of the town score a solid 33, putting them just behind Maun's Seafood Bar.
31:12It's the final day of the competition and head chef Emma and operations director Paul of Gnostic have a plan
31:18up their sleeves.
31:19I think our night's going to be the best night of the week because we're different to the other two
31:22places.
31:22We have different food.
31:23We have a different approach to service.
31:25We're very chilled out, and we're not showy.
31:28We're just like the food, the cocktails, do the talking, and have a good time with everybody.
31:31That's exactly it.
31:32If I was in Emma and Paul's position, seeing the last two nights, that there would be a lot of
31:36pressure on tonight,
31:37and we'll see if they can handle that.
31:39Emma shows passion, definitely.
31:41From her little critiques from both the nights, so I'm expecting high standards for tonight.
31:46The plates that we're treating tonight, they're simple, but they're effective.
31:49And tasty, I hope!
31:51They're kicking off with crispy mushroom wonton with dashi broth, spring onion and pickled shimeji.
31:57Dashi.
31:58Spring onion pickled shimeji.
32:00Shimeji?
32:01Shimeji?
32:01I went to school with him, did you?
32:03Hi.
32:04So, apart from the wonton replacing the dumpling, that's pretty much my starter.
32:08OK, so that better be on point.
32:11On the first night, we had dashi broth as well.
32:14It was a sweet garlic one.
32:15Ours is slightly different.
32:16There's a lot of mushrooms in it, a lot of ginger.
32:18Hopefully, everybody likes it, and they're open to a little bit of a change.
32:21Good luck with that.
32:23Emma multi-tasks by frying onions, ginger, garlic and mushrooms for the wonton filling,
32:27and also knocks up the dashi broth with mushrooms and coriander.
32:32This is the dried seaweed for the dashi stock.
32:35In goes water, and it's left to do its thing.
32:39I probably was more critical than I should have been, considering I'm wearing dashi,
32:42so I just opened myself up for a world of hate, but it's fine.
32:45She actually critiqued mine, so she must be really confident in it,
32:47so I cannot wait to taste her dashi.
32:49On to the wontons.
32:51Wontons only want one less than two ton.
32:54Oh, heck.
32:56Emma and Paul shape the parcels.
32:58Looks like origami to me.
33:00This is my first time doing wontons.
33:03You'd never tell.
33:05Emma's been a good teacher, yeah.
33:06God, that's a lot of praise.
33:08They'll be fried before serving, so it's on to the main.
33:11Moroccan chicken and couscous, roast hake, harissa, celeriac and chimichurri,
33:16both with courgette and halloumi fritters and sweet potato sides.
33:20A lot going on, a lot of flavours.
33:23I'm just concerned it might all be just a mishmash of flavours
33:26and you're not getting what you really want to come through.
33:28Chicken and fish.
33:30Yeah.
33:31Wings.
33:31Wings and waves.
33:33Oh, yeah, I like that.
33:35Our main course is a few plates,
33:38so maybe they're going to think that's, like, too much food.
33:40I'm sure we'll find out.
33:42First job, the celeriac.
33:43Paul makes up a dough while Emma chops the veg.
33:46Doing all the dirty jobs.
33:47This is some sort of revenge for something.
33:50I mean, an absolute...
33:54All the time, maybe.
33:56Emma!
33:57The celeriac is wrapped in the dough.
33:59Novel.
34:00Well, if it's about presentation, men wins.
34:03Now, now, children.
34:04After marinating the chicken, Emma moves on to the chimichurri.
34:08Chimichurri is a...
34:10Football team from South America.
34:12Lots of fish, herbs, some chilli, some garlic,
34:15some lime juice in there.
34:16How's it taste?
34:19Good.
34:21Nice and just fresh.
34:23Splendid!
34:24The dishes will be assembled this evening.
34:27Onto dessert.
34:28Lemon meringue pie with berry sorbet.
34:31Safe option again this week.
34:33That's the second lemon tart.
34:36Will she pull it off as well as Ian did?
34:38I don't think so.
34:39Everybody loves lemon meringue pie.
34:40I love lemon meringue pie.
34:42Everybody loves lemon meringue pie.
34:43I will definitely judge this.
34:45You can judge the rest.
34:47I'll judge lemon meringue pie.
34:48Leave that to me, please.
34:49Ian's tart was amazing.
34:51Like, I just...
34:51It was.
34:52It was amazing.
34:53Ours is different.
34:53The base is not pastry.
34:55It's a cheesecake base.
34:57It's a tasty crumb, so it works well.
34:58Paul begins by mixing condensed milk with egg yolks and lemon juice for the pie and Emma prepares a sweet
35:04oaty base.
35:06This lemon's a bit like you.
35:07A bit like your attitude, but bitter.
35:10Paul!
35:12If you go the opposite direction, it's easier.
35:16I was about to listen and take that advice, sir.
35:19Good one.
35:20The cooked base is pressed into a tin and topped with the creamy mixture.
35:25With the pie left to cook, they whip up a meringue for the topping that'll be piped on before serving.
35:31I think we're definitely ahead of this, I think.
35:34Yeah.
35:34But we could be wrong.
35:35It's all about the execution.
35:36I genuinely think it could be a winning menu if they pull it off.
35:39Yep.
35:39Game on!
35:42Ah, they look good.
35:43I'm ready for one of those.
35:44Yeah?
35:44It's going to be mint.
35:46Nice one.
35:46Thanks.
35:47Very good.
35:48First in, a David and James.
35:52Hey!
35:53How are you doing?
35:54How are you?
35:55Good to see you.
35:56Nice to see you again.
35:57Hiya.
35:57Good to see you.
35:58Here we have what we call the daily tot.
36:01The daily tot?
36:02The daily tot.
36:03Will it put hairs on my chest?
36:04Absolutely.
36:0571 mils of overproof rum.
36:07That's what I want.
36:08Sounds good, yeah.
36:13That is strong.
36:15Here's Ian and Eva.
36:18Yay!
36:19How are you?
36:21Good, how are you?
36:22Good.
36:23How are you?
36:24Good.
36:24How are you?
36:25How are you?
36:26Good.
36:26Here we go.
36:29That was my reaction.
36:30Very good.
36:31What's your thoughts, Eva?
36:33I'm thinking I'm going to steal a boat.
36:37Eva, did that drink put hairs on your chest?
36:39More than yours, anyway.
36:41Actually, you know what?
36:41Let's go back, actually.
36:43You know what?
36:43It's like related to King Kong, this boy.
36:46Definitely.
36:47Final night, guys.
36:48You know what I'm looking forward to?
36:49Tasting this dashie tonight.
36:50Oh!
36:52I've been looking forward since I read the menu this afternoon.
36:57Ian obviously brought up dashie, so...
37:00You know, we dig at this straight off the bat.
37:01Last evening, like the walk was all diagnostic.
37:04I hope yous have a fantastic evening.
37:06Cheers!
37:07Cheers.
37:08Coming up, a divisive destination.
37:11I went to Kiev three years ago, and I was lucky enough to get to go to Chernobyl.
37:15What would drag you there?
37:17I don't get it.
37:18And the winners are revealed.
37:20Yay!
37:22Which means the winners are...
37:29It's the final night in and around Belfast.
37:32Cheers!
37:33And head chef Emma and manager Paul of Gnostic are hoping their eclectic menu will impress and help them bag
37:40the grand.
37:41It's our time to shine, I guess.
37:42So, let's not disappoint.
37:44Absolutely.
37:44All the talking's done.
37:45Let's get to it.
37:46Yeah.
37:47First job, getting the wontons done.
37:50Well, I'm nice and crispy.
37:52Nice and hot in the middle.
37:53Great.
37:54So, how many are they getting?
37:55I was thinking five.
37:57Four.
37:58No, can't do even numbers.
38:00Always odd.
38:02Yeah.
38:02Just like the chef.
38:04Oh-ho!
38:06With the dashi heated, it's ready.
38:08These are looking good, Emma.
38:09Well done.
38:10Great job.
38:11Let's go.
38:12Let's go feed the troops.
38:13Here it is.
38:14Crispy mushroom wontons with dashi broth, spring onion and pickled chimedji.
38:19This is the famous dashi.
38:21These gentlemen are sharing.
38:25Enjoy.
38:28Okay, Ian.
38:29Let's go.
38:30What do you mean?
38:31I don't know.
38:32I just have a feeling something's coming my way.
38:35No, not at all.
38:37I think your dashi is nicely seasoned.
38:42I just think mushroom is overpowering on it.
38:44It's a wee bit mushroom heavy.
38:46Okay.
38:46I really liked the dashi broth.
38:48It was really, really good.
38:48I was worried about the dashi with the crispy wontons, but yeah, it did work.
38:53The dashi tonight may have just been slightly better.
38:57I think Emma won that little battle.
38:59I think she got that one.
39:01How was the dashi?
39:02Well, the dashi, it wasn't a classic dashi, so it was hard to mark against mine.
39:07Mine was a classic dashi.
39:09This was a mushroom dashi, and all I could get was mushroom.
39:12I was happy with the starter.
39:14I think everybody enjoyed themselves.
39:16Even Ian with the dashi was really, really nice.
39:19Too much mushroom, and that's an easy fix.
39:22From dashi to destinations, talk turns to holidays.
39:24Probably the most interesting place I've traveled to.
39:27I went to Kiev three years ago, and I was lucky enough to get to go to Chernobyl.
39:31Wow.
39:32Yeah.
39:32He glows in the dark.
39:34Yeah.
39:34Awesome.
39:36It saves us money in the kitchen.
39:37We don't need to turn the lights on.
39:38I would love to go somewhere there, but that is something.
39:43You're walking around, and everything's still sitting there.
39:46Is that right?
39:46And the nursery, the old dolls are all there.
39:48There's books.
39:49There's little tags with all the girls' names on them.
39:52Yeah, it's crazy.
39:53I couldn't think of anything worse than going to Chernobyl.
39:56What would drag you there?
39:58I don't get it.
40:00I tried to sell it to everybody.
40:02Can't sell it now.
40:03With radiation.
40:03Yeah.
40:06Time for the main.
40:07Paul cracks on with the celeriac.
40:09Are these meant to look like pineapple?
40:11They don't look like pineapple.
40:12It's celeriac, obviously.
40:15While they're finished off, Emma knocks up the courgette and halloumi fritters,
40:19sweet potato sides, and adds chimichurri to the hake.
40:22Almost there, Paul.
40:23Lot to do, but we got it.
40:25Happy days.
40:26With just the chicken dish to plate up...
40:29I hope they're hungry.
40:30Here it is.
40:31Moroccan chicken and couscous, roast hake, harissa, celeriac and chimichurri,
40:36and a selection of sides.
40:39Here we go, here we go, here we go.
40:42Starting with the best looking.
40:46Oh, you charmer.
40:48Absolute charmer.
40:49Cheers.
40:50We have a lot of food here.
40:51Brilliant.
40:52Dig in.
40:57I was sort of worried how it was all going to work together.
41:00When you're going from sort of one thing to another,
41:03it can be a wee bit strange to sort of take it all in as one.
41:07I don't really like courgettes, halloumi, sweet potato or feta.
41:13They're just not my favourite thing to eat, and for me that's just a preference.
41:16Tonight there was no main focal point, so your main focus was in everything rather than just one thing.
41:23I enjoyed each little thing kind of individually, but together I just didn't think it didn't work for me as
41:28a collective.
41:28Semi-churri was absolutely banging first class.
41:33There's so much flavour on the plate that you're trying to capture everything, and one might overpower the other.
41:39It's not going to take away from anything.
41:40There was so much going on. There was so much going on, it was hard to concentrate.
41:45A few technically accident things, but quite a few things that needed a bit of work as well, yeah.
41:51Obviously way too much food, but we knew that, so it's fine.
41:54Lots of good feedback, lots of things I could take back and change and make it better, so I'm happy.
42:00Time for Pud.
42:02You sure you don't need a ruler for us?
42:04Probably should use a ruler, I'm not going to lie.
42:07But you're not.
42:08On goes the meringue topping before flaming.
42:11Are you happy with it? Yeah, absolutely.
42:12Last course of the week, let's go. Hopefully it's a winner.
42:15Let's go. Let's go.
42:16Here it is, lemon meringue pie with berry sorbet.
42:21Hey, how are you doing in the last course of the week?
42:23How you doing? Thank you.
42:26Awesome guys, let's go.
42:32I love lemon meringue pie.
42:35I'm just not getting as much lemon out of that as I would like.
42:37The base, I do prefer a pastry base, but it is something different.
42:42And if yous are wanting to put twists in it, it's a really good idea.
42:45That there to me, I love cheesecake as well, so that there to me is an absolute banger.
42:49But the flavour, just a little more kick.
42:52But you know what? Well done, absolutely brilliant.
42:54I like the little twist it in on the base.
42:57It was something new, brought something different to the dish, but I have to agree with Eva.
43:01The lemon meringue pie, I liked a bit of lemon.
43:04I'm happy with it, so yes, we'll take the criticism, but we're okay with this one.
43:08So if we're scoring ourselves tonight, I reckon 17.
43:12Yeah, I'd say that would be pretty fair, yeah.
43:14Well, to win the grand, they'll need to score 37 or more.
43:20So tonight, Em and Paul gave a great effort, really pulled the stops out,
43:23but fell short in a few wee details compared to the other two nights.
43:29So tonight, we feel a fair score for them is 14.
43:3214.
43:33Tonight was a really good night, and they put in a lot of effort,
43:36but I think they maybe complicated it a little bit too much.
43:39So for that reason, tonight, we're going to go 14.
43:4214.
43:42Which gives Em and Paul 28, putting them in third place.
43:46Here they are to reveal the winners.
43:48Smell the money! Smell the money!
43:57In third place, we've got Gnostic.
43:59Well done.
44:02Fantastic, well done.
44:04That means between top of the town and more than seafood.
44:07In second place, we have...
44:10Top of the town.
44:11Yay!
44:16Which means the winners are Warren Seafood.
44:18Yay!
44:27Ladies first, Ian.
44:30Cheers.
44:32Unbelievable, unbelievable.
44:34I'm just a little bit concerned because she's holding all the money.
44:37and hasn't given me any yet.
44:39So, hey, we got second.
44:40So we did.
44:41Well done.
44:42Well done.
44:43We may not have won the money this week,
44:45but we definitely made a lot of friends,
44:46which maybe is worth more.
44:49Yep.
44:49Cash would have been nice too, though.
44:51he doesn't have a lot of friends.
44:51So Jetzt will have�.
44:51Here we go.
44:52May 17th season.
44:52tą你们
44:52There's more than many darkinhoven projects.
44:52I love you.
44:56Take on me
45:00Take mi
45:05Take mi
45:05Take on
45:08Take me
45:08Take Communist
45:16Take off
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